Mobilising Psychology for Social Change

The Campaign

We believe that as applied psychologists in the UK it is our public and professional duty to be speaking out against the further implementation of austerity policies. From professional experience and our knowledge of empirical psychological evidence, we know that cuts have been toxic for people’s wellbeing and mental health.

If you are a psychologist, it is really important that we are not just talking amongst ourselves. For this campaign to have an impact we must raise these issues with our local and national policy-makers as well as with the wider public. So share your professional concerns with your local and national representatives either by email, telephone or ideally face to face and write to your local and national press.

Share this:

34 thoughts on “The Campaign”

One of the most damaging (and I would say intentional) aims of austerity measures is the systematic erosion of a persons social and personal boundaries to leave them feeling unprotected, completely defenceless, hopeless and in real fear of anihilation. This is a psychological attack on a person at the most barbaric level that has been, and continues to be perpetrated by those who promote and support austerity measures.

I know personally how the DWP monolith intimidates through opaque process, and “sudden death” benefit decisions, all applied without any form of personal contact. One is truly reduced to atomic levels of inconsequence by them..I have two close friends who this last week have been through PIP and WCA, and both have suffered from steeply escalating levels of panic and distress. One can’t walk (5 joint replacements, osteoarthritis, and lung cancer), the other has severe psychological problems, and both have been very adversely affected by the process, irrespective of the outcomes. We need as many professional health groups as possible to join and campaign on our behalf, because we cannot cope with just trying to survive daily health issues, then the DWP, and then trying to form an opposition in a land we find increasingly hostile to our very existence.

Please join us at our meetings Carmel if you can. Details of these are on the ‘About Us’ page. We are looking for regional leaders to get involved and build local networks for the campaign. Could this be an option for you in Belfast? Thanks so much for your support.

This is a time for all psychologically oriented disciplines to unite . The social causes of personal and relational distress should be the domain of concern and resultant communal action by all those involved in social care and mental health . Social workers psychiatrists ,nurses psychotherapists and teachers should unite with the profession of psychology to create a broad based opposition to the psychosocial consequences of austerity and the political contexts within which such austerity measures have been systematically employed .

The government is making a decision to cut public services and welfare to reduce the government debt. Debt caused by the bail out of the banks. Hope this helps. There is more info on the website above and here http://falseeconomy.org.uk/

Looking forward to joint campaigning with this fantastic group. Thank you for inviting us and our sister organisation Disabled People Against Cuts to speak at your launch. In solidarity, John McArdle on behalf of Black Triangle Campaign in Defence of Disability Rights.

I recognise that Im becoming overwhelmed by fear because of the sustained attacks on the disabled. I started smoking again after quitting, andsleep badly now. Im seeing a “therapist” who I have to pay from my tiny pension. I dont think she has any answers! as she told me to go and see my GP.who sent me to the therapist in the first place!!!! I fear losing my Motability car through changes from DLA to PIP and all the horror stories. I dont want to be housebound.

The conservative government here in Australia is also heading in a similar direction, albeit masked/branded under different guises (aka the ‘inter generational report’). The most galling thing is they simultaneously cut essential social services while harping on about the ‘mental health crisis’ that their very policies and underlying ideology lead to. Good luck with campaign, I certainly stand in solidarity.

Can you make your ‘The Psychological Evidence’ in to (re) tweetable thoughts – this way people will be able to cut and paste each of the points with a link back to here – and your campaign will really be able to develop – good luck.

Whatever else we are not being human is about living communally-whether successful or not. Politics is about power and allocation of communal resources just as it is on a micro scale for the community of the family. In a national society (like the global community) where resources for securing and sustaining the ‘good life’ i.e. personal and interpersonal well being are grossly and unjustly misplaced so psychotherapists have to cut not only against the grain of psychic distress but the aggravating conditions of social resourcing. Those who have us believe that ‘austerity’ i.e. having to make do with few of the given and necessary ‘goods’ for well being to flourish are not only discouragers of well being but as Erich Fromm argues their thinking is a product of disordered, anti-social self-acquistional thought.

Psychotherapists collectively I feel must begin train ourselves to embrace theories and approaches that embrace a sensibility of the interactivity of communal ‘Otherness’ as much as the individual ‘Other’ in the creation of identity and well being. This requires a new political consciousness to democratically uphold those parities which reach out for promoting the “common good” and not the self aggrandisement and enrichment of those who have manipulated and cajoled their way into positions of power and control. An impossible dream? Never!

Regardless of the outcome of the election today, psychologists will have to do more to fight for our patients against these ideological cute and austerity- a labour government still speaks with the rhetoric of austerity and free market capitalism, and the poorest will still feel the bite of the stigma and discrimination of the right wing press. I am glad to see psychologists taking a stand on this matter as we are in a unique position to be able to work with both the system in terms of commissioning and the individual.

Keep up the great work! Just shared your page with Organise Exeter which is a local action group against Austerity. If your members are local or in the area, let me know because it would be great if you wanted to run a talk with us about this side of austerity measures. We are starting up a podcast to tell the stories of people affected which will also tap into the psychological dimension, your input would be welcomed. With best wishes

Hi – I am a Clinical Psychologist still employed in the NHS; am sure you are aware that amongst other bills creeping in which will drive people further into poverty, there was a ‘stealth’ bill put forward for privatisation of the NHS last week – see opendemocracy.net – am hoping that this group which I have now joined can be active on protesting these. Austerity creates ill populations who will need access to the NHS; paying for it is NOT an option. Let me know how I can get involved in your campaigns including I hope ‘anti-austerity in the NHS’, Jenny Petrak

The August Walk – you requested help finding places to witness/film on the anti austerity walk last week in August. Here are some ideas of charities to contact who will have a mass of information for you – sorry, if you have already thought of all these:

1. Save the Children and Oxfam – now support poor children in UK
2. Trussell Trust were the first official charity running foodbanks across the country
3. Other foodbank charities – FairShare, FoodCycle – distribute surplus from supermarkets
4. Prince’s Trust
5. Birmingham Central Mosque – teams up with local charities to run foodbanks

May I encourage Psychologists against Austerity members to travel in the local coaches to the 4th October demonstration in Manchester. This supports those organising the coaches ( a considerable cost to raise), is an act of solidarity with others going on the demo, and means you can talk to fellow demonstrators and make political links in your area. I’m going from Harlow with local anti-cuts activists and those outraged by the anti-trade union legislation. We should defend Corbyn’s anti-austerity platform and have a presence too, as trades unionists, at the Unite the Resistance National Conference on 15th November in London (http://uniteresist.org/2015/08/unite-the-resistance-conference-2015/ ) which will be addressed by new Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell. There could still be time for PAA to have a speaker at this conference. Julie Chase

I’ve lived with personality disorder since I was a child and because of trauma became a voice hearer too . Because I was so young these became a part of myself without even knowing it and through innocence grew knowing nothing until in later years when I had a psychotic episode it all came to light , I’m glad it did and I’m happy in who I am . I accept myself , understand myself completely and I’m so happy to be an introvert , deep thinker and constant soul searcher . These traits make me a very compassionate person … Couldn’t ask more of myself

Individuals are doing other pieces of work around specific issues like the refugee crisis and we are working on other briefing papers that relate to broader issues around how the economic is organised and mental health. Please do get involved by joining a working group and making suggestions, we’d be very pleased to hear your ideas. THanks so much.

I support your aims wholeheartedly . I am a family therapist and trained social worker . I am interested to hear of transdisciplinary action against austerity between all mental health and social care practitioners . Solidarity is the key to making an impact I think .

Hi please just come along to any events you can as listed, no sign up required. Or indeed set up your own events! You can sign up to the mailing list for general updates and/or you can email us to get specific information if you need to. You can also follow us on twitter at @CommPsychUK. Hope that helps. Thanks so much.